War for the North
by Secret-writer91
Summary: After the Red Wedding, King Robb finds himself in an uneasy alliance with King Stannis after the other man saved his life and the life of his family. The War is far from over and there is still much to be done to ensure the North's independence remains from the Lannisters and any that would seek to take the North Throne. Follows Lady of Winterfell. Book 2.
1. The Aftermath

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.**

**Sequel to Lady of Winterfell.**

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**Chapter One: The Aftermath.**

The sound of the hall doors bursting open made the entire room pause for a moment, no one sure whose side the arriving men where on; at their lead was yellow haired man and the Northerners tensed assuming that it was Lannisters coming to help those who had betrayed them and sort to murder their King. Drawing his sword, Lord Arthur Tremaine looked around taking the sight before him and he swallowed fearing that he had arrived too late, he would never forgive himself especially after all he had done to get here.

"Protect the King!" Stevron Frey shouted from his position behind Arthur, his sword drawn and raised into the air; he would not allow his father's stupidity to bring down their house any further and shame them all. People already looked down upon the House of Frey for their actions during Robert's rebellion, his father had grown greedy and Stevron knew that it was time for a new Lord of the Crossing to take his place.

When he had heard from his brothers that their father had planned to betray the King in the North and murder him despite offering him guest rights for a wedding. Stevron doubted his actions would be forgiven by his kin for what he was doing but he cared not, what mattered to him is that he survived this battle; he did not care who got in his way now, his position all but secure now.

It was a relief that several of his many siblings had joined him, all agreeing that their father's madness must be put to an end. They had welcomed the incoming forces when they had arrived to aid the Stark army and Stevron was sure that they had had the element of surprise here; his father was arrogant enough to think that he would get away with this. Chaos consumed the hall and it was a little hard to tell who was on which side as the men fought; the incoming men forced their way through the fighting, helping those who needed it while making their way towards the front of the hall.

Robb Stark's eyes were stuck on one person and he slowly dragged himself across the floor to the fallen form of his wife; his shaking hands reaching for her stomach, her dress covered in blood from where she had been stabbed. He had seen plenty of battles since this war had started but this was something that had shaken him to the core; he had thought they would be ready with her seeings but this proven that not everything had gone to plan.

Robb barely noticed the fighting around him, nor could he bring himself to care as he finally reached Sanira; his hand pressing down on her stomach trying to stop the bleeding, her blood coated the floor and soaked into his clothes. Unnoticed by all, Roose Bolton stumbled his way back into the room unable to believe what was happening; everything had been going so well and he had nearly succeeded in the plot to kill the opposing Northern forces. The position as Warden of the North, replacing the Starks and rising up to a position that he had never thought would be in his reach was now dangling by a thread.

"Sanira," Robb whispered trying to get a response from her, he shook her gently but nothing happened; he prayed to whoever would listen that she would live, he did not know how he would carry on without her. He would trade anything in the world for the life of his wife, he did not care about the price only that he was not left alone in this cruel world without her by his side.

"Robb!" Arthur Tremaine shouted seeing the approaching Roose, he tried to push his way towards them but there was just too many people between them and no amount of pushing or slaying his enemies would help him. He could only watch as Roose grew closer to Robb who did not seem to have heard him calling out; he fought hard to try and get closer knowing that he just had to do something.

Kari Frey threw herself at the man before he could take another step towards Robb's turned back, her hands reaching for the dagger in his hands and she clung to it ignoring the stinging of her palms as she did so. The lives of her Queen and her King were endanger and she would not allow her father or Lord Bolton get away with murdering them. If it were the last thing that she did then she would die defending them, at least then perhaps her actions would atone for what her father had done and make it right; she held on with all of her might.

Roose gritted his teeth as he shoved Kari away from him, he had no time for this and Robb seemed oblivious to the world around him as he grieved for his wife; it was the perfect time to strike then he could flee. The Lannisters would reward him and he had no doubts that his new wife would give him a son that would inherit; his bastard held Winterfell for him and the Starks would end here.

However, before Roose could take another step towards him, he was suddenly shoved to the ground; he looked up startled and could not believe his eyes when he realised that it was his new wife. Fat Walda almost seemed surprised for a second by what she had done; however, her face quickly morphed into anger as she glared down at Roose.

"Are you stupid woman?" Roose hissed, she was his wife and she should realise that if he went down then he would take her with him. It mattered not to him what happened to House Frey, however if he disappointed the Lannisters then House Bolton would pay the price; he very much doubted that the Stark army would recover from the friendly fire that was occurring outside.

Should he succeed then it was them that would benefit from it, the Lannisters had assured him that House Bolton would be rewarded for the loyalty to the crown. However, Fat Walda did not budge she stared down at her husband knowing that she was doing the right thing; she could not allow him to get away with what he had done nor what he planned to do.

Kari stared at her sister, neither of them knew how their lives would be affected by the betrayal of their father and Fat Walda's husband but they could only hope they could be granted Mercy in helping save lives now. Finally making his way further into the room, Arthur almost stopped at the full sight of his sister; this was not how he had expected their reunion to be and he wished that he had been able to arrive sooner.

When the letter had arrived from Robb that they had needed aid at the Twins, Arthur had acted as quickly as he could while trying not to alert Arlenna about the fact that she was about to be overthrown. The last thing that he wanted was their mother to realise what was happening and alert Tywin that the North knew what he had planned for them; she was an issue that had needed to be dealt with carefully. Rushing forward, Arthur dropped down to his knees and tried to stem the bleeding from her abdomen; he cursed not knowing where most of the blood was coming from, there was so much of it and he feared that they were too late.

"Here use this," Kari insisted ripping off some of her dress so that they could use it to try and stop the bleeding; she cared not for her own bloody hands only that she could help her Queen in some way. They worked quickly trying to stop the bleeding as the fighting around them seemed to come to an end; Northern Lords grabbed onto Roose so that he could not escape and would face punishment for his treasonous actions.

Walder Frey remained in his seat, his newest wife cowering under the table like the little lamb that she was; his beady eyes taking in the events before him as he came to terms with the fact that he had been betrayed by his own kin. Appearing at the doors of the hall, Stannis Baratheon appeared with his men bloody from routing the Frey and Bolton forces that had been putting down the Northern forces while their King was being slaughtered inside.

"What is the meaning of this?" Walder Frey demanded trying to get up from his seat, however he was stopped by Ser Emmon Frey who seemed undeterred by his actions. A glare forming on his face, Walder stared up at him wondering just what they had been promised to betray him in such a way; he would never forgive them for this and he would disown them.

"You have violated guest right and betrayed your King," Stannis announced, he was not here as the enemy; he knew that he had to play this carefully if he was to get what he wanted.

Catelyn ducked out from her hiding place under the table and rushed over to Robb, her hands quickly checking her firstborn for injuries; her hands shaking as she patted down his chest for wounds that she could not see. She was sure they would be dead right now if it were not for the intervention that had happened; she shot a spiteful look at Roose knowing that he would get what was coming to him. If it were the last thing that she did, she would watch as his head was stuck from his shoulders for this; he had betrayed the North for his own gain no doubt and she would see to it that he paid for that.

Sanira remained unmoving as help arrived for the injured and Arthur lifted his sister knowing that they had to get her help if she was to survive what had happened; she needed a medic and even then, he did not know if it was enough. Never had he seen his sister so unmoving, he almost thought that she was asleep with how peaceful she looked despite the fact that she had been stabbed and he knew that such a thing would never happen again.

Robb stumbled to his feet, his eyes not leaving Sanira as she was rushed from the hall by her brother; he made a move to follow her only to be stopped by Catelyn knowing there was still things that needed to be taken care of. He glared at his mother, whose eyes remained focused on Stannis as he made his way over to them; she could only imagine what had brought him here and to their aid, she prayed that he would not expect Robb to bend the knee.

"Your Grace," Stannis acknowledged with a bow of his head, he had not thought that such a thing would ever occur but he knew that there was only one reason that he did so now. Lady Sylvina Baratheon was not a woman that should be trifled with and even Robert had acknowledged her as a fine lady of breeding; he had gifted her Beckton in her own right when he had risen to the throne.

"We shall do away with the traitors to your throne then we shall discuss an alliance between our royal houses," Stannis stated holding his head high, he watched Robb knowing that he would need to rest and be looked over by a medic first. He had made promises with those of House Frey that would benefit him, it would be up to the King in the North if he wished to uphold what he had promised those who had turned on the traitors.

Robb nodded his head, he could not find the words to express his gratitude for what the other man had done; he had saved his life and possibly that of his wife, they would be in his debt and he was not sure what he could do to pay it. He took a final glance at Roose Bolton then at Walder Frey, he would deal with them when he was ready to; they could suffer a few days in the dungeons while he recovered from this.

Then turning away from them, Robb slowly made his way from the banquet hall trying to not take in the devastation that lay around him; he knew that the repercussions for this would have to be great. Stepping into the hallway, Robb was surprised at the carnage that seemed to continue on and he could not imagine how the outside of the Twins would look; he had no doubts that this assault had been planned to subdue the North for the rest of time.

Anger bubbled inside of him, he would not forgive the Lannisters for this and he would make sure to wipe them from the map; their time was coming and no one would remember them once he was done. If that meant that he needed to join himself with Stannis Baratheon then he would do it, their armies combined would be a force that not even the Lannisters could stop.

They were weak and had extraordinarily little in the way of strong allies, there were few great houses that were left outside of their reach and many of them disliked the jumpstart Lannisters. The Lannisters had placed a crazed bastard on the throne and Robb was most relieved now that his sister had not married him even if they had dishonoured her by marrying her off to the imp.

There would be no mercy in his mind for them, he would make them pay and he would take everything they loved from them before they would beg him for death; only then would he grant it to them and Gods help them if Sanira did not survive this. Stumbling at the thought, Robb squeezed his eyes shut not knowing what he would do without her; he had been through this once before and he had never wanted to come back to this when he finally had her in his arms.

He fought back the tears and prayed that the Gods would not punish him by taking her away from him; they had barely any time together and their son needed his mother. Taking a deep breath, Robb righted himself and took a look around the halls to see that he is still alone; no doubt cleaning up from the battle and rounding up of the prisoners were taking place at the time.

The sound of someone approaching him made Robb look up and he stared at Arthur not sure what to say to him; the words seemed stuck in his mouth and neither man spoke for a moment. Slowly moving towards Robb, Arthur opened up his arms and wrapped them around him; tears starting to fall from both their faces knowing that Sanira could not leave them now.

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	2. Tricking the Lannisters

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.**

**Sequel to Lady of Winterfell.**

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**Chapter Two: Tricking the Lannisters.**

"Roslin caught a fine fat trout. Her brothers gave her a pair of wolf pelts for her wedding. Signed Walder Frey.' Is that bad poetry, or is it supposed to mean something?" Tyrion asked staring down at the missive that he had been handed upon arriving at the council meeting. He had been summoned to a council meeting and had been a little unnerved when he had found Joffrey nearly bouncing with joy at whatever news had arrived.

Before being summoned to the council meeting, he had been walking around the gardens with his new wife; he still did not know what to make of the fact that his father had forced him to marry Sansa Stark. Though Tyrion had no doubts that it had been done to stop the Tyrells gaining the key to the North as her brother's heir; he was unsure if the rumours that Sanira's child had been lost were true.

"Robb Stark is dead! And his bitch!" Joffrey announced, his pleasure at such news clear to everyone; another King down and one less threat to his throne, he knew just how he wanted to celebrate such news. There would be no more threats to his rule, he was the true King and he would make all those who had doubted that pay; his mother was right, everyone who was not them were the enemies.

Tyrion flinched at his words, he cast a glance to his father trying to determine how he might feel about such a term in regards to his niece. Despite everything, Tyrion had held hope that whatever Tywin might have planned for the Stark King that it might mean that his cousin could be spared; she was family afterall and had Lannister blood in her.

"Write back to Lord Frey. Thank him for his service and command him to send Robb Stark's head. I'm going to serve it to Sansa at my wedding feast." Joffrey continued gleefully, he could not believe it and he looked forward to seeing her face. He was sure it would almost be as fun as when he showed her, the head of her father on a pike along with her Septas; it had been such a great day and he could only imagine how she would take seeing her brother's head especially after what she had said. Joffrey's cruel words were enough to snap Tyrion from his thoughts about his sweet cousin; she was a kind soul and he would pray for her.

"Your Grace, Lady Sansa is your aunt by marriage." Varys tried to caution his King, he looked around concerned not sure how he would be able to dissuade their King from doing such a thing and causing offence. It was hard enough trying to hide Joffrey's cruelty and his impending wedding to the Tyrell girl was coming soon; there was already so much to do especially with the cost of the royal wedding continuing to climb.

"A joke. Joffrey did not mean it," Cersei replied calmly, she leant back in her chair rather pleased that there was one less threat to her son's throne; she very much doubted that Stannis would cause them issues now. After the defeat that he is suffered during the last battle, he had been rather quiet and she hoped he had learned his lesson and had disappeared for good.

"Yes, I did. I'm going to have it served to Sansa at my wedding feast," Joffrey argued shaking his head confused why his mother would say that he was joking; he meant every word that he said. He would take great joy in tormenting her with this, there was no one coming to save her and she would be forever trapped in the capital as his play thing even if they had married her to the imp.

Tyrion frowned at that, apparently not even having Margaery was enough to completely distract him from Sansa; he seemed intent to continue to torment her in any way that he could. He did not know how he would break the devastating news to Sansa that her brother, mother and good-sister had been murdered; even if he held out the smallest hope that Sanira was alive.

"No. She is no longer yours to torment," Tyrion argued glaring at his nephew, he would protect Sansa now that they had been married and he would treat her with the respect that she deserved. As of now she was the last Stark and the key to the North, it was the entire reason that Tywin insisted that he marry her; he would do what he could even if it meant defying his monstrous nephew who no one else seemed to be trying to control.

"Everyone is mine to torment. You'd do well to remember that you little monster," Joffrey stated leaning forward, he didn't care what anyone said he wasn't going to let Sansa go or forget that her brother and father had been traitors to his crown. He would punish her until he was done with her and humiliate her until she realised her worthless place at his court; there would be no escaping for her and his plans for her.

"Oh, I'm a monster? Perhaps you should speak to me more softly, then. Monsters are dangerous and just now kings are dying like flies," Tyrion said before getting down from his chair and walking away from the meeting. He ignored the look his father sent him, knowing he would pay for that comment later but it was worth it for the look on Joffrey's face and he did not regret his decision to speak up. Not even his father seemed to be able to control Joffrey and Tyrion knew that such a thing was not a good sign; the boy was unpopular and with Stannis still out there then they had cause to worry.

By murdering the Northern King, they might not have brought the North to hell instead they might have forced an alliance that could see the North siding with Stannis against them. The North would not forget what had happened to the Starks at the Lannisters hands, they would seek revenge even if for now they were under Bolton control.

Tyrion did not think that flaying every man that would side against him would earn Roose Bolton the trust and loyalty that he wanted like the Starks had done. Despite fighting against them in a war, he had never admired the Starks and he had to admit that he had never thought that Robb Stark would do so well; his father had no choice but to have him murdered at a wedding because he could not defeat him on the battlefield.

Now he had the unfortunate task of informing Sansa of the deaths of her brother, her mother and her good-sister; she had a right to know before anyone, especially Joffrey, cruelly told her the news and taunted her.

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"They've taken the bait," Stevron announced stepping into the chamber, he had been worried that his letter to King's Landing might have been discovered to be a fake; he had lied and he was sure that they had been fouled by it. There were no signs of Tywin or his army approaching the Riverlands and for now it seemed like they had the advantage; he glanced nervously at Robb who had been staring at Stannis. Neither King spoke surprised that they had made to convincing everyone South that the slaughter at the wedding had been a success; now they needed to use their element of surprise to their advantage.

"Thank you, Lord Frey," Robb replied leaning back in his seat, it still surprised him that Stevron had turned on his father like that, he had aided in fighting back the Bolton army and those who had betrayed him. There was no ignoring the fact that he owed his life to others and it was not just his life; Sanira was still recovering from her wounds and the loss of their unborn child. It was a great loss but Robb was relieved that it was not greater, the medics had assured him that his wife would recover in time but they had been unable to tell him if she would be able to conceive again.

Stevron bowed, he was not pushing his luck and he knew that his actions and those who had sided him would be judged from now on especially after what his father had done. It had not been officially announced that he would take over as Lord of the Crossing, his father was still alive afterall but he would give no reason for the two Kings to doubt House Freys loyalty again.

"We have the advantage right now. The Lannisters think you are dead and Bolton is in control of the North, we can use that to our advantage," Stannis Baratheon mused sitting across the table from Robb, he stared at the map of Westeros and he knew their next move had to be planned carefully if they wanted to catch the Lannisters unaware. The last thing that he wanted was for the Lannisters to realise that he was not at Dragonstone and had somehow managed to sneak past them and make his way up to the Riverlands.

"Why did you come here?" Robb asked watching the older man, he was not sure quite what to make of Stannis arriving to help especially when he had once backed Renly before he had died though he had thought Renly more likely to support Northern independence.

Sitting quietly for a moment, Stannis stared across at the young man knowing that if they were going to win this war then they needed to work together; he reached into his jacket and pulled out a letter before sliding it across the table to him. He watched Robb take the letter and open it, he knew that it would come as a surprise; though Stannis wondered if Robb realised that if they did not work together now then the Lannisters would win.

"I may be a King but I would reward any man that would deny that woman her desires," Stannis stated with a shake of his head, his aunt was a wonderful woman and knew what she wanted. It had been her letter that had persuaded him to act, she had instructed him to take his army and ride to the Twins if he wished to win the war and remove the bastard from the throne.

"I seem to have found myself in need of an alliance. My brother is gone and a bastard sits on my throne. I believe we can help each other," Stannis replied gruffly, he stared at the fire doubting that Robb would ever know about the letter that he had been sent. Sylvina Tremaine was not a woman to be trifled with and her letter to him had reminded him that no matter what, she was still his beloved aunt and Sanira was his cousin. The North did not seek the Iron Throne, they would allow him to take it if he allowed the North to have their independence; he did not entirely blame them for not wanting Southern rule after what had happened.

"I am willing to accept and acknowledge Northern independence should you help me claim my throne and defeat the Lannisters," Stannis continued, he needed help and he knew that there was no way that he could win now that he had lost so many men. The North had been doing well and Tywin's decision to slaughter Robb and his men at a wedding instead of face him in open battle and lose; he had nearly been widowed by such a move and that could not be forgiven.

Robb was silent taking in what Stannis had said, he had not been expecting it since the last he had heard was Stannis wanted him to bend the knee; though things had changed since then and Stannis had suffered a great loss at the hands of the Lannisters in battle. Something that Robb knew was not possible, his people would never accept him bending the knee after all that had happened; he had been elected their King and he would do his best.

"You are the King in the North and I shall be the King of the South," Stannis continued testing out the title that he had decided on, he would rule from King's Landing while Robb would do the same from Winterfell. Peace would come for the realm and they would make history by bringing peace between their Kingdoms; they would put an end to the fighting even if Westeros was never going to be the same after what happened to Robert and the rule of Joffrey.

"On those terms, I shall happily agree to peace between our families," Stannis continued leaning back in his chair, he had no other options and he could not rule the North. If he attempted to force his will on the region then they would refuse him and fight him at every turn; no Southern could hold the North and Stannis was willing to concede this one for the Iron Throne.

There was a bonus to this, it was his cousin afterall that was Queen in the North; he could not look past that even if she did share blood with the Lannisters. There was also no forgetting that it had been with his help that the Lannister forces that held Aeredale had been dispersed; Arlenna fleeing like the coward she was and Stannis doubted she realised who had helped take back control of Aeredale.

Now the new Lord of Aeredale was free to run his home as he pleased, they did not have to sneak around nor would saving the Northern Lords and their king have been possible. With the Lannister spy in the North disposed of, they could plot and come up with a plan that would allow them to take King's Landing from the Lannisters without having to fear that their plans would be discovered.

Tywin would likely believe what the letter had said, he would assume that the Lannisters were on the rise and nothing would stop them now; whispers spread North that they were happily planning a royal wedding in the capital for the false King and his Tyrell bride. Stannis scoffed at that thought, she had been married to Renly before his demise and he had no doubts that the ambitious upstart had no idea just what sort of monster she was marrying.

Between him and the Starks, they would bring down the proud lions of Lannister in a way that no one would forget.

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	3. The Next Step

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.**

**Sequel to Lady of Winterfell.**

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**Chapter Three: The Next Step.**

"How are you feeling?" Catelyn asked sitting down beside the bed, she warily eyed the two Frey girls that remained not sure whether she could trust them despite all that they had done for her and her family. Walder Frey's betrayal was something that would never be forgotten even once he had been executed for his betrayal; it would haunt them all and Catelyn disagreed with Sanira's decision to keep the Frey girls around.

"I've been better," Sanira replied quietly, she could not wrap her head around the last couple of days and she wished that she could be more useful than she was right now. Her injuries kept her from leaving the bed and she did not know if she was grateful for that especially since it allowed her to think about what she had lost; her baby was gone and nothing would bring them back.

Talisa Maegyr had managed to save her life but had been unable to save the life of her unborn child; it had been far too late to save the baby and Talisa had apologised wishing that she had been able to do more for her. She had done her best to assure Sanira that while it may take time for her to recover, she held hope that she would be able to have another child in time despite what the Maester thought.

"I am sure you'll recover in no time," Catelyn encouraged, she had never lost a child herself even if two of them were currently hostages in the capital; she had hoped they would be returned to her by now. There was no telling when she would see the girls again but she was most hopeful that Jamie Lannister would remember his promise to her that he would return her daughters to her.

But with each passing day, Catelyn began to doubt that she would see them again before this war was over; she had lost Robb's trust to get them back. Sanira did not reply, she was tired of speaking with Catelyn and she was not sure what Catelyn expected her to say; her baby was gone and no one could tell her for sure if she would have another.

With one heir to the throne, she knew this put Robb in an awkward position; she would step aside if needed so that he could remarry if the Lords thought more heirs were needed for the Northern throne. Robb had been nothing more than supportive, he was just relieved that she was okay especially after nearly losing her; he was just thankful that her and Karlon were both safe.

"Sansa has been married to the imp," Catelyn muttered shaking her head, she had been shocked to hear news from the capital especially in relation to her daughters; she had hoped that her freeing Jaime would mean that he would send them back to her. Sansa had been married into the Lannister family and there was no news on what was happening with Arya; Catelyn prayed that they were looking out for one another.

Sanira nodded her head, Robb had told her and they both knew what Tywin Lannister was doing by marrying Sansa to Tyrion; it was his way of gaining control of the North while he thought that Robb was dead. They had to plan their next move carefully and Robb was sure that if they planned this right then the Lannisters would have no idea just what was coming for them.

"Rather it be Tyrion than another loyal to the Lannisters," Sanira replied there was no doubt that Tyrion would be kind to Sansa and protect her; he was not as cruel nor would he force himself on her. It was a lucky match considering the North was meant to be the losing side, it could have been much worse and at least they knew what to expect now.

Catelyn frowned at her words, she would much rather her daughters be home now than married off by the enemy; she did not care if the men were good or not. Especially Sansa, she had been married to the imp of all things and Catelyn could only imagine how the little monster was treating her daughter especially since Joffrey was to marry the Tyrell girl now.

It had come as a surprise that Joffrey would marry the widow of Renly, the Tyrells had played their hand and decided to side with the Lannisters in an attempt to gain a throne. There was no point in them throwing their weight behind Stannis or Robb since both of them were married; a fact that meant that the alliance with Stannis was even more important.

The two were silent both knowing that the next couple of weeks would determine how the rest of this war would play out for them all.

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"We are most pleased to hear of the Queen's recovery," Lord Karstark said from his seat, he had to admit that even he had worried for Sanira's life after what had happened; there had been a moment that they had been convinced she would not make it. The idea of finding a new Queen was much less appealing right now especially with everything that was happening; their plans were changing and their new alliance meant that they finally stood a chance.

Stannis had no desires for the Northern throne, which was a bonus for them, they would rather stick someone that respected their independence on the throne than anyone who would try to control them and did not know anything about them and their lands. If the Lannisters were happy enough to try and murder their King and Queen while they were attending a wedding, then the Northern lords could only imagine what they would do to the heir to the throne.

"Lady Mormont. I am charging you with the retaking of Winterfell from Ramsey Snow," Robb announced looking towards the woman, he had no doubts that she and her men would have no problems with the bastard of Bolton. They could not allow Ramsey to remain, especially once they had beheaded his father; he would likely alert the Lannisters to the fact that the wedding had not ended like they had planned.

"Once we have secured Winterfell. My mother and Prince Karlon shall be returned there," Robb continued knowing that it was for his best, there must always be a Stark at Winterfell and he didn't like leaving the place as it was. His men nodded in agreement, the young prince might very well be the only child that Robb and Sanira had after what had happened; they needed to keep him safe and him remaining at Beckton was not an option.

Lady Sylvina Tremaine had done them a service in speaking with Stannis and making him see that an alliance with the North was truly in his best interest. Now they had to think of how they would move against the Lannisters, they had to be smart about this and how they were going to make sure that they were not caught off guard again. Robb looked around the table knowing that when he had started all of this, he had been trying to get his father and sisters back; things had changed so much since then, they were fighting for justice now and for Northern independence.

"What of Her Grace?" Lord Umber asked sure that Sanira would want to retreat and recover given the chance especially after what had happened; she would want to be with her only child after what had happened. No man would ever understand how a woman felt losing a child, the fact that it had happened while someone had been attempting to murder her and those loyal to her and her husband.

Robb stared at the man, he was silent knowing that Sanira was something that he had not considered much of especially with her injuries; she would have to remain at the Twins until she was well enough to travel. He would not rush her and in time, she too would be expected to do her part for the war effort; the people would need their Queen and he would need his wife.

"She will recover here for the time being… decisions will be made later for where she shall go," Robb stated before staring down at the map, there was much to be discussed about the war and how they would proceed. There was no way in telling just how this would play out but they had to do this right, the alliance with Stannis was a benefit but Robb was not about to do something that would endanger them all again.

Stannis had lost quite a few of his men in his attack on King's Landing, they needed to ensure that no more were lost no matter what they did next and many had been lost during the Frey-Bolton attack.

"Where do we go from here Your Grace?" Lord Karstark asked, he wanted to know how long it would be before he would have his revenge; he had waited long enough and he wanted the Kingslayer's head. He had lost two of his sons and he would never forget the fact that he had sacrificed so much and they were no closer to truly ending the war.

Staring the map, Robb leant forward his eyes staring at a part of the map; he had nearly forgotten his plan but now it seemed more possible than ever.

"We're going to take Casterly Rock," Robb announced, they would take Casterly Rock from the Lannisters; show them how it felt to lose their home and then they would march on King's Landing.

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	4. Execution of Roose Bolton

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.**

**Sequel to Lady of Winterfell.**

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**Chapter Four: Execution of Roose Bolton.**

Staring at the man that had betrayed him and his family, Robb could not help but feel anger at what had happened; he almost wished that he were the one that would be carrying out his sentence. Roose Bolton was to be executed. There was no way around that and Robb's only regret was that he would not be able to deal with Ramsey Snow right away; there was so much happening and he would take back his home when the time was right.

Lady Mormont would do as he had ordered her, she would go North and make sure that Ramsey could not do more damage than he already had. The North would not bow down to the Bolton bastard, he would pay for what he had done and Robb was eager to take back his home; he had high hopes that the Mormont forces would be able to handle what little forces Ramsey had stationed at Winterfell.

The rain poured down upon them and Robb rested his hand on his blade watching as Roose Bolton was led towards the execution block where he would be executed for his crimes; many lords had come to see the sight of the traitor. Men jeered and spat at him, anger filling them at the ambitious jumpstarts that had nearly sent them back under Lannister rule just for the chance to be Warden of the North.

Roose did not even look Robb's way as he was lead to the execution block, the looks that the other Lords gave him made him want to sneer back at that; he had once been one of them and none of them could see the bigger picture. Now he had to deal with the consequences of his actions, while he had been locked away, he had thought about how things might have been if he had won; he would have been Warden of the North now.

Probably hearing the news that his new wife was with child, though he had no doubts that his seed had stuck and the fat cow was with his child even now though they would have nothing to inherit. His lands were forfeit to the crown, he had lost everything and he prayed his bastard would give them hell for what they were about to do to him.

There would have been no one to oppose him and his family would have risen higher than they had ever been; his new wife would have given him a son and heir that he could have been proud of. Stannis stared at Roose as the man was brought to the spot where he was to be executed; he was a prisoner of war and as such it had taken a lot of discussion to decide who would execute him especially on counts of treason.

It had not been an easy decision, Robb and his Lords had argued that it had been treason against them that Roose should answer for; he should be executed by the North, he was their traitor. Finally, Robb had managed to make Stannis agree that it should be him, he was his father's son afterall and the man that passed the sentence should swing the sword; he would be the one to execute the traitor.

"Roose Bolton. You are here to be executed on charges of treason against the North were upon you conspired to murder King Robb. His wife, Queen Sanira. And members of the Northern nobility," Stannis said announcing the chargers ignoring the boos and jeers that came from the crowd that had gathered. He looked at Roose who just stared right ahead, he did not look at Stannis or Robb; it was almost like he was lost in thought, he just stared right ahead trying to ignore the calls for his death.

A part of him wondered if he had been successful in getting his wife pregnant if there would be another generation of House Bolton; he might still have an heir on the way. Ramsey would be put down that Roose was sure of, he knew just what his bastard was capable of and he could only hope that he gave the North hell before he was taken out.

Murmurs of a prayer barely reached Roose, he slowly dropped to his knees and placed his head into position before he closed his eyes; it would be over soon enough. Taking his sword with a steady hand, Robb swung removing Roose's head in a swift movement; there was no hesitation and he glared down at the beheaded body knowing that his actions would forever scar his family.

Walder Frey and Roose Bolton were dead now, their actions forever tainting the war and the fact that they had sort to murder them for their own advancement only made Robb wonder if others were capable of such a thing.

* * *

"You're leaving me here," Sanira stated staring at her husband, she had known that this was coming and she had thought that she would be more prepared for this; she had hoped that she would be back on her feet by then. In the two weeks since the attack, Sanira had been slowly recovering from her injuries and she had hoped that there would be more time before she was left behind at the Twins and Robb continued the campaign.

However, she was nowhere near recovered for such a trip and Sanira would only slow them down; she would be forced to stay here with the new Lord of the Crossing as her host while she continued to recover. Robb was in no mood to argue with her, they could not delay when they had the element of surprise; he could not hold back when they had a plan. There was no reason for them to delay and his men were recovered enough to move forward, they would use the element of surprise to their advantage.

"Joffrey is set to marry the Tyrell girl and it will be the perfect distraction," Robb insisted with the Lannisters focused on such an occasion, they would have their Queen and be completely unprepared for the Baratheon-Stark forces to attack. Casterly Rock would be undefended and most of the Lannisters would be attending the wedding; it was meant to be the biggest royal wedding in such a long time and the cost was meant to nearly crippling the crown.

Sanira frowned at that, she wished that there were something that she could do to help; instead, she was stuck here while she recovered from her stomach wounds. Her recovery was a slow one and given that she had lost quite a bit of blood, there had been a chance that she could have died and she had been incredibly lucky that she survived.

"What is to happen to me?" Sanira asked looking down at her hands, she did not even know if she would have any more children; they might only have Karlon as a child. The loss of her baby was something raw, she felt so guilty that she had not been able to protect them; she had never thought that this would happen to her and she wished she could be of more help.

"You are to remain here while you continue to recover. Your brother shall stay to ensure you're safety with his men," Robb told her, he trusted Arthur with his life and should the Lannisters try to take the twins then they were in for a surprise. A small number of men would remain here, he had no doubts that the Lannisters thought the Twins under their control and if they managed to take Casterly Rock then their hold would spread while the Lannisters lost control.

He was making sure that no matter what happened, that the Lannisters would not be able to take the North and the Trident while he was gone if it remained manned. There was a lot at stake and Robb knew that he was going to need someone to be his eyes and ears around the North while he was away; he did not want to be caught unaware again.

"Once you are recovered. I shall have need of you, I hope to bring the Vale to our side and we shall need them in the long run," Robb admitted quietly, he glanced at Aiana knowing that she was loyal to his wife. He did not trust his mother to send her to his aunt and he would need Sanira to negotiate for him; Lysa would be tricky to bring to heal but he had a plan for that.

Staring at him, Sanira was not sure what to say to that and it would only be the start of her duties as the Queen in the North; she would have to fight for her title just as he would. It was going to be a steep learning curve, Sanira would not have anyone to teach her what she was doing; she could only hope that this would work out, there were a lot of people depending on her.

"Be safe," Sanira said taking his hand, she wished that she could go with him but she was not going to be much help; she could only hope that everything would work out. There was so much at stake and there had already been one attempt to kill them both, it meant that they were seen as a threat that needed to be dealt with off the field.

"I am lucky in battle as I am in love," Robb replied before kissing her softly, it would be months before they would see each other again; he prayed that when they were reunited that all would be well. Sanira closed her eyes as he left her chambers, she prayed to the Gods that they would bring the Lannisters to justice for what they had done; they would learn what it meant to have everything ripped away from them.

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	5. The Taking of Casterly Rock

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.**

**Sequel to Lady of Winterfel**

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**Chapter Five: The Taking of Casterly Rock****.**

Staring up at Casterly Rock, Robb was relieved that they had made it this far without attracting the attention that he had thought they would; two armies moving through the Westerlands was hard to conceal. The fact that everyone seemed to be distracted by the impending Royal Wedding only helped; from what Robb knew Joffrey was to marry the Tyrell girl in a matter of days, they could not have timed this more perfectly. With all the important Lannisters being away from the Rock, there would never be a better time to attack than there was now; there would be hardly any defences and that was what they had counted on.

"Shoot down any Ravens that leave the Rock. We don't want them warning anyone," Robb ordered knowing that while most will have gone to the capital for the wedding, there was a chance that there could be some Lannisters still around. The last thing that they needed was their element of surprise being completely ruined; there was no way that what was happening could reach King's Landing before the Rock had been taken.

Holding onto the reigns of his horse, Robb stared at the Rock not sure what to make of it; he hoped that his plan to take it would work. Arthur had been most helpful when it came to planning, he had told him stories that he had heard from Tyrion Lannister about how he used to sneak women into the rock. The stories had been extremely helpful and Robb was certain that they would pay off if true, he could only hope that this would work; there was no telling if the stories were even true but it was worth a try.

Stannis approached him on his own horse, he stared up at the castle that had longed belonged to the Lannisters; he had to admit that he had not thought they would have it this ease. It had taken them weeks to travel through the countryside with the army, not wishing to be spotted by Lannister spies or anyone that might tip them off to ruin the surprise.

"It appears the Lannister Army is not here," Stannis mused, he doubted that Tywin even realised that his own castle was in danger; he would be too busy preparing for the impending union between the false king and his bride. The Crown was in debt as it was and they would no doubt have borrowed more from the Iron Bank in an attempt to pay for the celebrations that were about to take place.

Robb nodded his head, thankful for that especially when they did not want to have a drawn-out battle; every step that he made now was imperative, there was much at stake for him and they could not afford to mess up. If he and Sanira had been killed at the Twins, Robb did not want to think what would have happened to his son; Karlon would have been left orphaned and there was no saying that he would have been left alive.

The Boltons would have found him sooner or later and Robb could not imagine what they would have done to him especially with the reports he was getting about the cruelty of Ramsey Snow. The Bolton bastard had apparently murdered his own brother so that he could become heir, their where whispers about what he was doing to the Stark lands and those who had once been loyal to House Stark near Winterfell.

What Robb did now was for his family, things were not going to be simple and he wanted nothing more than to be at home with them but that could not happen until they were safe. The Lannisters would never leave them alone and after the attempt that they had made on his life, the life of his wife and what they had tried to do to the North.

Robb stared at Casterly Rock, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before they had captured the Rock; he doubted that whoever was inside knew just what was coming for them. The Lannisters were about to learn what it was like to lose their home, it was just the beginning of what they were going to lose and Robb knew that the House of Lannister was coming to an end. Their legacy was a lie and no one would forget that once Robb was done with them, there was nothing that was going to stop them and he would ensure that no one would suffer because of a Lannister again.

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Pursing her lips as she made her way through Casterly Rock, Lady Arlenna Tremaine held her head high annoyed that her brother had ordered her to remain here after the mess that she had made in the North. A part of her had hoped that she would be welcomed at the capital especially with the royal wedding happening any day now; she had hoped to be able to enjoy such a royal occasion.

She had done everything that Tywin had ever asked of her, she had married the Northern Lord and had his children; she had poisoned that husband so that she could take control of Aeredale and make sure that he could not send his men to support the Stark Army. Now instead of being at the wedding of her King and the Tyrell girl, Arlenna was stuck here at the Rock until her brother decided on what he would do next with her; she felt like a little girl again waiting for her father to pay attention to her. Arlenna still recalled how disappointed she had been when she had been informed that she would marry into House Tremaine; a house with royal ties and good breeding.

Unity, Strength, Kindness.

Arlenna wrinkled her nose at the thought of the words, they did nothing to invoke the feelings of Hear Me Roar; she would always be proud of her House and she was pleased with what Tywin had accomplished since their father had passed. Their father had been a joke, someone that Lords had taken advantage of; she had been ashamed of him and what he had done to their great house.

Even as the youngest child, Arlenna knew that no one respected Tytos; he was a pushover that made poor choice, her own sister had been married into the unworthy House Frey. Wandering around the place that she had once called home, Arlenna could not help but compare it to the hovel that she had called a home for the past thirty-one years.

She was most thankful that she would not have to return there, it had been an embarrassment and when she had tried to make changes, she had been stopped by Rolan or his mother. Her late husband had tried to keep his ancestral home the same and did not seem to understand that she was Lady of the House and it was up to her to make them look presentable for their guests. Rolan had even refused to send their sons to be wards here at the rock, it would have been such an honour but he had chosen Northern houses for that since they were destined to be heathens like their father.

"My Lady. There is an army approaching," a Maester shouted rushing towards Arlenna, panic painted across his face and he clutched at his robes; he had never seen the like and he could not imagine who would be daring enough to attack Casterly Rock. It was the ancestral seat of the House of Lannister, no one would dare attack them when their liege lord was away attending his royal grandson's wedding in the capital.

Arlenna stared at him, she was sure that Tywin would have sent a raven to say that he was sending an army; she saw no reason that he should when they had defeated the North. Once the Maester was before her, he struggled to catch his breath and she stared at him with distaste; Arlenna knew that he reported everything that she had done to her brother since she had arrived.

"What are their banners?" Arlenna asked concerned, she feared just who might be at the door right now especially after poisoning her husband to death though she doubted Aeredale had the numbers to threaten them. She held no regrets in her role in his death nor the fact that her actions had led to the death of her daughter and son-in-law; never mind all the men and women murdered at the Twins.

It had been her duty as a member of House Lannister, she would not weep for those who were of no importance to her; she had dealt with the traitors that had threatened her great nephew's throne. The Maester hesitated for a moment, he knew what he had seen but he knew that it could not be possible since the North had been beaten into submission after the wedding at the Twins.

"A burning heart as the banner for his house, modified with the stag head of House Baratheon in the middle and a grey direwolf on a white background, over a green escutcheon," the Maester whispered trying to make sense of what he had seen. Arlenna stared at him, she thought for a moment that he was trying to trick her; there was no way that those banners could be outside the Rock, not when both armies had been destroyed.

Her hands trembled and there was only one thing that she could do in this situation and Arlenna was not about to allow herself to be taken as a hostage.

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	6. Fleeing Like A Rat

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.**

**Sequel to Lady of Winterfell.**

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**Chapter Six: Fleeing Like A Rat.**

Clutching at her red skirts as she hurried down the passageways that would lead her to safety, Arlenna did not dare look back knowing that at any moment that the armies outside could breach the walls of the place she had once called home. There was no way that she was going to stick around and be captured by them, she knew what would happen to her and she would not allow it.

She was a Lannister, a Lioness of Casterly Rock and she would not allow these Northern heathens to come and take her against her will. The fact that she had murdered her late husband and had lost control of Aeredale would not be the last thing that she was remembered for; she doubted that the fact that she was their Queen's mother would help her now.

Sanira was dead and Arlenna was sure of that fact, however the sight of the Stark banner did little to ease her mind; surely there were no Starks left in the North now. The young boys had been murdered by the Greyjoys, the eldest daughter was married to a Lannister and the youngest one had been lost during the securing of the capital against her traitor father.

"My Lady… what about our defences? Who will lead us?" the Maester called after her, he hurried down the passageway attempting to catch up with her and make her see sense. They were undermanned as it was and moral would drop should the men learn that she was fleeing; she was the only Lannister around since the others were at the capital for the royal wedding.

Arlenna scoffed at that, she ignored the Maester as she continued down the tunnel knowing that her escape was finally in reach; she would be free of the Rock in a matter of moments. Not that she would tell her brother that she had fled, but someone had to bring him the news about what was happening here; she would not stay here to be raped by men not worthy to polish her shoes.

"My Lady," the Maester pleaded, he grabbed onto her arm to try and stop her from leaving only to be met with the end of a dagger that Arlenna had on her person. The Maester stumbled back from the attack and fell to the ground, his eyes filled with fear as Arlenna paid him no other mind and continued on her way to freedom not caring that the old man had been hurt.

Clutching at his wound, the Maester climbed back to his feet and shook his head before making his way back along the tunnel; mumbling to himself as he went about how he prayed to the Gods that she was captured. It had been bad enough housing the woman who seemed to think that she was the new Lady of Casterly Rock and demanded to be treated as such; a position that no one had held since Lady Joanna had died.

"Where is Lady Arlenna?" one of the guards asked, he had been sent to ensure the lady was safe while they waited for reinforcements; if they wanted to survive then they needed to make sure she was safe. It simply would not do if something happened to her during the siege; it was not a safe time for a woman to be wandering around and they needed someone to give the men orders.

"Fleeing like a rat from a sinking ship," the Maester informed him bitterly, he shook his head moving past the guard knowing that Lady Arlenna was the least of the problems now. It seemed as if the North had risen up and had come to avenge their fallen King and Queen; their only hope being that help would arrive before the army outside breached their defences.

The guard stared after the Maester realising that they were all on their own, there was no Lannister at Casterly Rock to lead them and there was no way help would arrive in time. He hurried towards his commanding officer, there was still time for them to act before it was too late; the army at their door would not wait forever.

Whispering the news that Arlenna had fled from the castle, the guard shared a look with his commander who nodded his head knowing that this could only end one way. There were many men here who did not deserve to die this day, there was no way that they could fight back against the armies at their door and who wanted to die for a Lord that was not there.

* * *

"Casterly Rock has surrendered," Stannis mused almost unable to believe that it had happened as quickly as it did, it was certainly not what he had expected when the decision had been made for them to lay siege to Casterly Rock. He had at least expected for them to try and resist until help came or news spread about what was happening; their letters had been intercepted meaning that right now King's Landing was unaware of what had happened here.

Stannis sat back in his chair and eyed the map before him, it would not be long before news spread of what happened here; they needed to ask fast to capitalise on what they had just done. The wedding between Joffrey and Margaery Tyrell would take place in a matter of days, it was the distraction that they had needed to take Casterly Rock and Tywin would certainly be distracted with keeping his grandson in line. From what Stannis knew, Joffrey had become something of a monster that no one could control even Tywin was struggling; he had hidden in his chambers cowering like a maid while his army had fought at Blackwater.

"Our next move must be carefully decided. Tywin will seek to strike back once he learns what has happened here," Robb said knowing that news that his plot to murder him and Sanira had failed would soon follow after this. The need to secure the Vale was urgent, they needed to make sure that there was no way that a surprise attack could be directed at them from behind before they made their way onto the capital. Their element of surprise had served them well so far and Robb was unsure just how to proceed, he did not want to lose the progress that they had made; they might win every battle but they needed to secure the war if they did not wish to end up like the rest of the Starks that had come South and perished.

"We need to sure up what we hold now. To outright attack King's Landing is foolish when the North had issues of its own," Stannis suggested knowing what was on the younger King's mind. They held the North and the Riverlands right now, the Westerlands were in disarray especially now they held Casterly Rock; the attacks from the Ironborn and Ramsey Snow were their next order of business as well as securing an alliance with the Vale. Should things take a turn for the worst while they marched South then they needed to make sure that the Lannister and Tyrell army would not be able to attack them from behind.

"Dragonstone is lost to me right now. We cannot allow the same to be said about the North, the Riverlands or our hold here," Stannis stated with a frown, the place might not have been his first choice but it had been his home for as long as he recalled. It was the seat for the heir to the Iron throne and for the longest time, Stannis had resented Robert for giving him Dragonstone while Renly had become Lord Paramount of the Stormlands.

The fact that he had all but lost it when he had been defeated at the Battle of Blackwater had made him even more convinced that their next move had to be a defensive one. They had taken Casterly Rock from Tywin, he would no doubt seek revenge for such a move and the first place he would strike would be to take the North from Robb via Ramsey Snow. The Bolton line continued through him and the promise of legitimization would certainly be attempting one for the Bastard son of a traitor; he would seek to gain what he could not have while his father was alive.

"What of the Vale Will Lysa Arryn not join us?" Stannis mused thinking of the woman that currently held the regency there, she had not played her hand yet and he wondered if she even would. Since the start of the war, the Eyrie had been entirely neutral in all that had happened despite the fact that Robb was Lysa's nephew and it was claimed that the Lannister's had been the ones to poison Jon Arryn to keep their secret. The decision to not go there and seek aid had been a promising idea especially when they had marched on Casterly Rock but if they wished for a chance to unite the Kingdoms against the Lannisters then it was time for the Vale to fall in line.

"My aunt has been written to several times and does not respond. Short of sending an envoy to her, I know not what to do," Robb said shaking his head, he had never met his mother's sister but he knew that if they hoped to succeed then they would need help. The Vale could not remain neutral forever, they would need to pick a side in the war and Robb could not shake the feeling that there was something more at play in the Vale that might turn the tide against them.

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	7. The Purple Wedding

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.**

**Sequel to Lady of Winterfell.**

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**Chapter Seven: The Purple Wedding.  
**

Her face betrayed nothing as she stared at the spectacle before her, when this had all started there had been a time that she had imagined that it would be her up there marrying him; that perhaps this was what her own wedding day would have been like. Now she loathed the sight of the boy that she had considered her prince, he was nothing more than a monster and her tormentor for the years that she had been held here as a hostage while the war raged.

Four long years since she had left the comfort of her home, four long years since she had seen her mother and siblings, four long years since she had felt safe. Sansa would have given anything to be allowed to go home to her family, what was left of it anyway after the massacre of her mother, her brother and her good-sister at the wedding of her uncle.

Instead she had been married off to the imp, her birth right making her a hostage that the Lannisters would never let go and they needed her to control the North. She could not even bring herself to look to her side where her new husband was seated, her stomach turned just thinking about the fact that it was him that they had married her too.

If things had gone as she and Queen Margaery had wished then she would have been married to Ser Loras Tyrell and would have escaped to High Garden instead of being trapped here. Instead she found herself married to the imp, though he had been kind to her and had refused to touch her despite what she was sure was pressure from his father to get her with child soon enough.

The only plus side that Sansa could name about being here was that the new Queen was a lot kinder to her than Cersei had been; she liked Margaery and she prayed to the old Gods that Joffrey would treat her well. The Lannister Queen had been cruel and seemed to enjoy making Sansa miserable, she made her life a nightmare with the reminders of what might have been should she have married King Joffrey.

Looking to Margaery, Sansa could not help but think about beautiful she looked; she looked every inch a Queen and not a hair was out of place even as she sat beside her new husband. A tension seemed to hover in the air and Sansa could only imagine what it would take to break it, she wanted nothing more than to hide away in her rooms; almost grateful that her new husband refused to touch her.

Tyrion might not have been the Lannister that most would have considered marrying but Sansa was more grateful that it had been him; he treated her with respect and did not force her to do things. Sansa knew that her wants and desires did not matter here, she had been offered the chance to flee once before and did not take it because she thought that she could arrange herself into a Tyrell marriage only for that to backfire.

The announcement that Joffrey had organised some entertainment for his wedding made Sansa's stomach turn even more so when she saw the dwarves and what they were enacting. People laughed at the foolery before them and Sansa could do nothing but stare as she watched them; her eyes catching of the dwarf dressed as her brother Robb.

Only when the play came to an end did Joffrey stand a smug smile on his face and he held up the bag of gold that he had promised to them. Sitting numbly Sansa did not catch what was said until she heard Tyrion push out his chair and get to his feet; she did not look unable to do so as her eyes stared at the dwarves ahead of her. The costumes were in poor taste and Sansa could see why Joffrey had decided upon such; her stomach rolled knowing that he had done this to hurt her and others.

Slowly the laughing dulled and Sansa could almost see the concerned look on Margaery's face; she could only imagine just what the woman was thinking at the act of cruelty from her new husband. It was only when Sansa had realised that Joffrey had approached that she heard the sound of him pouring wine over Tyrion's head; she glanced down at her lap unable to do anything else.

"My love come back to me," Margaery beckoned in an attempt to gain control of the situation before it had the chance to spiral more. Sansa wondered if her words on how much of a monster had even sunk in, she prayed her friend would be safe and would not earn the ire of the King when she was such a kind soul. Margaery offered out a hand to Joffrey a smile on her face as he walked back to her, only when he turned to face Tyrion did the desperation on her face appear; she could only watch as Joffrey made Tyrion is cup bearer.

The silence was almost deafening and Sansa stared over at Joffrey unsure what she had ever seen in him; oh, how she wished she could go back in time to shake some sense into herself. Cersei almost looked pleased at the humiliation that Joffrey was bestowing on her brother; her eyes watching as Tyrion climbed down from his chair and made his way slowly to her son.

Joffrey dropped the cup before Tyrion could take it from him, a smirk on his features as he stared down at him and when he bent down to pick it up Joffrey kicked it away from him. The new Queen looked away unable to watch a second more knowing that this was just the beginning.

Sansa got to her feet and moved to help Tyrion, she did not look at Joffrey as she did so though she was sure he looked to her; she handed it to her husband without a word before returning to her seat. Joffrey refused to take the empty cup from Tyrion, he scoffed at the attempt to give him the empty cup before Tyrion moved to pour more wine into the cup and hand it back to him.

"Kneel. Kneel before your king," Joffrey demanded a smirk on his uncle held out the cup for him to take once it had been refilled; the joy of his actions on his features as he spoke. Tyrion looked at Joffrey with distain as the order was repeated for him to kneel, no one daring to speak up in his defence in the face of what they were all witnessing now.

"Look, the pie!" Margaery announced getting to her feet almost relieved to break the tension; her voice cracking as she spoke and cheers following her announcement after such a display. Joffrey lingered staring at Tyrion for a moment more before he turned to Margaery who had approached him as their wedding pie was presented to them. Producing his new sword, a gift from his grandfather after a hard-fought war Joffrey approached the pie and smashed the top of it releasing the doves that had been inside; a pleased gasp escaping Margaery as she clapped her hands.

"Can we leave now?" Sansa asked quietly leaning towards Tyrion, she no longer wished to remain at such a celebration; she doubted that it would be long before Joffrey would turn his attentions back to them. She could not bring herself to watch as Margaery fed Joffrey some of the pie that they had been served; a smile on the new Queen's face as she looked into his eyes, perhaps just a well-placed mask to disguise her true thoughts.

"Uncle," Joffrey called just as he and Sansa got to their feet to leave, he chewed on the pie a couple of times before he turned to look at the two of them. Cersei could not hide her amusement at the fact that Joffrey had not forgotten that he had been in the process of tormenting her brother even if his new bride had tried to distract him.

"I thought I might change out of these wet clothes, Your Grace," Tyrion said knowing that if Joffrey had his way then this little act would continue and he doubted it would end well. However, Joffrey was quick to insist that Tyrion was perfect the way he was; he continued to stuff pie into his mouth as he spoke with his uncle, barely taking a breath as he stuffed a fork full into his mouth. Offering a glance back at Sansa who had stepped down from the high table, Tyrion made his way back over to Joffrey to give him his cup that had been put down in front of the Lady Olenna who had a grim expression on her face as he did so.

"Mmm. Good. Needs washing down," Joffrey said taking the wine from Tyrion, his mouth still full of pie that he couldn't help but think was dry; he would have the baker executed for such a fact as it was spoiling his day. Moving back towards his seat where Sansa remained waiting for him, Tyrion could not help but hope that they would be allowed to leave now; he could see how distressed she was and he did not blame her for wanting to get away.

He would flee as well if he had the option, with each passing day he became more disenchanted with his family and he had no doubts that if his father could not control Joffrey then they were certainly going to lose control of him sooner or later. Something that Tyrion had no interest in seeing, he was not a fool and was aware of the cruelty that the boy was capable of; he would be their ruin and his father's legacy would come to nothing. Though it did make him wonder if those dirty little rumours about his siblings held any truth.

"If it please, your Grace, Lady Sansa is very tired…" Tyrion started to explain, however he did not get any further before Joffrey interrupted him with a refusal; the King coughed to clear his throat feeling like something was stuck there. Bringing his hand up, Joffrey clutched at his throat for a moment before coughing into his hand; nothing he seemed to do dislodged whatever it was that was stuck there. Margaery having stepped back and looked uneasy about the tension that was building even with her usual distraction techniques nothing seemed to be swaying him from his desire to humiliate his uncle.

"Your Grace?" Tyrion asked concerned, no matter how much he might have disliked his nephew; he was his blood and that had to count for something in all of this. Joffrey started to cough more in an attempt to clear his throat, he drank more of the wine as Margaery stared at him concerned about what was happening; she took a hesitant step forward before stopping.

"It's nothing!" Joffrey dismissed, turning his back on Tyrion as he clutched at his throat again; people starting to realise that something was not quite right. He gasped for breath trying to breathe as Margaery saw the alarm in his eyes, panic setting in as she stepped back and exclaimed that he was choking; people started to call out in alarm as Tywin and Cersei shift their chairs in a panic.

"Help the poor boy!" Lady Olenna shouted just as Joffrey staggered away from the table; he dropped the cup that he was holding as he staggered about towards the crowds, who fled at the sight of their King choking. No one dared move forward to help him, all watching in what felt like a stupor while the events before them unravelled; no one could have predicted this for such a happy occasion.

"Idiots! Help your King!" Olenna ordered surprised to see that no one had raced forward to help him while he choked; it took a few moments before people started to surge forward but no one reached out to help the boy King. Joffrey fell forward onto his stomach, convulsing and vomiting as he did so while Jaime rushed towards him shoving people out of the way; he was quickly followed by Cersei who clutched at her skirts as she hurried towards her boy. Watching from where she stood, Sansa wondered if this was the Gods justice for what Joffrey had done to Robb, Sanira and Catelyn at the Twins; they had been murdered at a wedding so the Lannisters would lose one of their own at one.

"Come with me now, if you want to live, we have to leave," a man said approaching Sansa from behind, she stared at the scene before her in horror though she did not doubt that Joffrey did not deserve what happened to him. A glance at the man told Sansa that he was the man that she had saved from Joffrey on his name day; she was almost surprised to see him again.

Her decision was quick knowing that this could be her chance, she did not look back as she followed the man knowing that people would point the finger to her for what happened. Cersei pushed Jaime away from as she turned Joffrey onto his back, her eyes widening in horror at the sight of what was happening to her son; the people around her gasped in horror with Queen Margaery turning away to the comfort of her grandmother at the sight.

"Joffrey! Please! My God, what is it? Help him!" Cersei pleaded staring down at her son, she did not know what to do to save him and tears fell down her face as she looked at the terror in his eyes. Joffrey's face slowly turning purple as he stared up at her, he continued to convulse as she held him in her arms; his eyes wide and blood shot as they stared up at her.

His hand slowly reached up and pointed towards the high table where Tyrion had approached the cup that Joffrey had dropped and stared down at it all realising what had happened. Blood seeped from Joffrey's nose as he made some gargling sounds pulling his distraught mother's attention away from the sight of Tyrion holding the cup back to him.

With nothing more than a whimper, Joffrey of Houses Baratheon, and Lannister, the First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm slipped away from the world; his unseeing blue eyes staring at the sky above him. His hand fell limp at his side and the sounds of his mother weeping started to reach the crowd who stood only feet away from them; she rocked him back and forth before turning her rage-filled gaze to Tyrion.

"He did this," Cersei whispered knowing that Tyrion would pay for what he had done to her son, she would have his head and make him pay for his sins against her for this.

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	8. News Travels

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.**

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**Chapter Eight: News Travels.**

"Your Grace. A letter from the King," Aiana stated handing over the letter that had arrived, the seal unbroken and there was no sign of tampering when the letter had been given to her by the messenger before the man had gone to rest. He had ridden hard from Casterly Rock where King Robb was currently stationed with Stannis plotting their next move against the Lannisters who had yet to learn that the Rock had fallen.

"Joffrey Baratheon is dead. Poisoned at his own wedding to Margaery Tyrell it seems," Sanira said reading the letter aloud for those around her to hear. Her stomach twisting not sure how to feel at the news that her cousin had been murdered at his own wedding; she guessed the Gods did have a strange sense of justice after what had been done to her at Edmure's wedding.

Robb's uncle might have ridden off to war with him but his new bride remained here with Sanira and it was hard to ignore the younger woman especially when news had spread that she was already with child. Despite the horror that had occurred on her wedding night, Roslin Tully had conceived and had done her upmost to avoid Sanira not wishing to upset her Queen with the news.

"It is suspected that Tyrion was behind it," Sanira continued reading the news that had arrived, a frown on deepening on her face at such an idea; the man was clever and she could not imagine he would have poisoned Joffrey when people knew they were so at odds. Joffrey had bore himself many enemies since he had risen to the throne, word having spread about the cruel child that now called himself King despite the rumours that he was nothing more than Cersei's incestuous bastard.

"Sansa has also been named but she had disappeared from the capital," Sanira murmured fearing just what may have become of the young woman that she had not seen in three years. It felt like a lifetime ago since Sansa and Arya had left Winterfell with Lord Eddard to travel to King's Landing; her dreams of becoming Queen being all that Sansa had talked about.

The years would not have been kind to Sansa while she was trapped in the capital, there was no news if Arya was even with her despite the fact that the Lannisters claimed to have both girls. Reading further through the letter, Sanira pursed her lips when she discovered what was being asked of her; she had not thought that Robb would do such a thing while she had remained at the Twins. However there seemed to be a pressing need to ensure that now more than ever that they were united against the Lannisters and there was a part that had yet to answer any summons from those who wished them to do so.

"I am to travel to the Eyrie it seems. The King asks me to speak with Lady Lysa Arryn," Sanira muttered with a shake of her head, this was not a letter from a husband to his wife while he was at war. But a letter from a King wanting her to due her duty, she had her part to play and it was time to see whose side the Eyrie was on despite the fact that Lysa was Catelyn's sister and had made no effort in the war so far.

With Casterly Rock now in Northern hands, it would not be long before the Lannisters learned what had happened and struck back against them. The last thing that they needed were any surprises coming from behind them, they still had Ramsey Snow to deal with yet and the man was holding down Winterfell for the moment. They didn't need the Lannisters using that to their advantage and arming Roose Bolton's heir with the help of House Arryn despite Lysa's claims that it had been the Lannisters that had poisoned her husband.

Closing her eyes, Sanira praying that this trip would be an easy one; she could not imagine what sort of welcoming she might receive from Lysa Arryn when she had never met the woman. From what Sanira had heard, she was rather unhinged and extremely protective of her only child; she didn't think she could even recall what the young Lord looked like since he was always with his mother.

Folding the letter back up, Sanira took a deep breath knowing that Robb would not ask this of her if it wasn't important; if they wanted to defeat the Lannisters then she had to play her part. They could not be allowed to get away with what they had done to her and her family.

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"My Lord. You have a visitor," a servant murmured interrupting Tywin's talk with the new King, he hesitated for a moment in seeing that they had just come from viewing the body of the late King Joffrey. His body still streaked with purple and he had stones covering his eyes, he lay still in the Sept where only hours before his death; he had been married to Margaery, now he lay here awaiting his burial alongside his father.

Sighing, Tywin stepped away from Tommen knowing that he had much to teach his young grandson if he was going to make a good King especially after what they had endured with Joffrey. The boy hadn't been fit to be King and Tywin was almost relieved that he no longer had to deal with him; he would have brought nothing but trouble with his actions especially when there was still Stannis to deal with.

"What are you doing here? I left you in charge of Casterly Rock," Tywin demanded coming to a stop when he saw who had come to speak with him; this was the last thing that he needed right now. Storming towards his sister, Tywin grabbed her by the arm and dragged her towards a place where they could speak privately; he had given her strict orders to remain at Casterly Rock for a reason.

Arlenna frowned at how her brother greeted her and struggled against his hold, furious at the notion that he would treat her so; did he not recall what she had done for him and who she was. She had done away with the bore of a husband that she had been married to, stopped him from siding with their daughter in a war against the Lannisters and now she had not been permitted to attend the royal wedding.

"Well I couldn't very well stay there with an army at the door," Arlenna informed him annoyed with his treatment, she shrugged her brother off and glared at him wondering if this was the thanks that she got for coming to warn him. Not that she would admit that she had fled from Casterly Rock before a battle had even taken place; she had no intentions of being a prisoner of war. Tywin stared at her, his mind racing trying to think who would still have such an army that would dare march on the rock while he was here in the capital burying a grandson and ruling as Hand of the King.

"It appears Lord Bolton has betrayed you. The Stark banners were sighted along with those of Stannis Baratheon marching for your gates," Arlenna informed him knowing that there could be no one else that would do such a thing. Surely the new Warden of the North would have known about such an uprising against them and would have sent a raven to inform them that the already weakened Northern army was on the moved.

Tywin didn't say a word, his eyes staring at Arlenna while he calculated his next response knowing that if she had fled Casterly Rock then their ancestral home was in the hands of their enemies. He could not recall the last time that he had received a report from House Bolton since the assassination of Robb Stark and his wife, along with several of their important bannermen at the Twins. From what he could recall, the attack had been a success according to the report that he had received and there had been no whispers that anything was far out of the ordinary.

"The Stark bannerman must have sided with Stannis after the death of Robb Stark," Tywin mused knowing that this could easily be dealt with, it would make a fine start to Tommen's reign if they were to beat back the weakened armies and restore order to the Seven Kingdoms. That was without considering the threat that was growing across the sea in the form on a Targaryen Queen who had arrived in Meereen from the accounts that Tywin was hearing.

Arlenna didn't speak, her blue eyes taking in her brother for a moment having no doubts that he would be able to handle it; this also meant that she could enjoy the luxurious of the capital while she was here. Despite having missed out on the wedding and by all accounts the murder of King Joffrey, Arlenna was sure that the coronation of the new King would be just as grand and if she played her cards right then she could find herself in his favour.

Tommen had only been a little boy the last time that she had seen him and Arlenna was in no doubt that her position was difficult right now; she had no husband and her children were all but lost to her after she had put her family before them.

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	9. The Alliance

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.**

**Sequel to Lady of Winterfell.**

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**Chapter Nine: The Alliance****.  
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"House Lannister is supported by House Tyrell, they seek to marry the Lady Margaery to the new King and unite their houses again," Stannis stated reading the letter that had arrived from his spies in the capital, it seemed that so far Tywin was rather distracted by the murder of his grandson. Though Stannis wondered if anyone would truly mourn Joffrey, perhaps his mother but Stannis doubted she was even capable of love for what she had done to his brother; Robert's legacy destroyed by an incestuous whore.

"They're plotting to execute Tyrion Lannister for the poisoning of the last one," Stannis mused wondering how they could use that to their advantage, he very much doubted that Tywin cared for the loss of the imp. He had always insisted that he would never leave Casterly Rock to his dwarf son despite the fact that his heir had sworn vows and entered the Kingsguard which meant that he would have no children to be heirs. The ones that Jaime did have were bastards to his sister, those who now claimed the throne that should have passed to Stannis upon his brother's death.

"It is rumoured that your sister, the Lady Sansa, has escaped the capital," Stannis concluded with a frown wondering just how she had escaped despite the capture of her husband who was now named a murderer. To slip away must have meant some sort of plan, she had fled the capital and it made Stannis wonder just how mad Tywin was with these series of losses despite the fact that he still had no moved against them.

"That leaves Arya who we cannot seem to find," Robb murmured fearing the worst for his youngest sister, his mother would be beside herself but he could not imagine just where or how his sister had fled the capital. For years since his fathers execution, there had been no word of Arya and at times Robb had pondered the fact that perhaps there had been some sort of accident that had befallen his headstrong sister. Though, he would not say such things to his mother fearing her reaction despite the fact that things were not what they seemed; the idea of losing any of her children would destroy her.

"They crowned Tommen quickly enough, the trial against Tyrion has begun and I have no doubts that they shall promptly find him guilty," Robb added staring over the map, they were still stationed at Casterly Rock and he had yet to hear back from Sanira. They had taken the back roads to the Vale to avoid detection and Robb was eager for news of her safe arrival; he remained hopeful that she would be able to talk Lysa into siding with them. A guard stepped into the tent disrupting the two of them, he looked nervous and he paused for a moment making the two men stare at him wondering what he wanted.

"Prince Oberyn Martell is demanding to speak with you both," the guard announced, he glanced back behind him almost hesitant to reveal that the man from Dorne had managed to slip past their guards and had almost reached the tent without anyone noticing him. Sharing a look with Stannis, Robb waved his hand curious as to why the Dornish Prince had come to them; from what he had heard things were looking good on the alliance that they had with the Lannisters.

Stepping into the tent, Oberyn Martell eyed the two men pleased to see that they had agreed to meet with him; if this meant that he could avenge his sister then he would do whatever he had to do.

"I come on behalf of my brother. We hear you plan to unseat the Lannisters from the throne," Oberyn mused taking a seat at the table, he eyed the map surprised at how much they had taken and how little the Lannisters were doing about it. He had to admit when the whispers had reached him, he had been rather surprised and had quickly written his brother with such news.

The murder of Joffrey had truly brought the Lannisters to their knees, they had Tommen left and Myrcella was currently in the care of his brother; set to marry Trystane who refused to be parted from her. Despite the fact that she was a Lannister, true feelings had developed between the two and no matter the outcome Myrcella would remain safely in Dorne where she would marry Trystane in the near future. However, this was the closest that House Martell had been in years to striking back at the Lannisters for Elia.

"And what does your brother seek from such an alliance with us," Stannis asked knowing that he had to be careful, the Dornish had not liked his brother for it was his rebellion that had led to the death of their kin.

The fact that he had gone on to marry into the family that had carried out those murders and had not brought Elia Martell's killer to justice; now for their mistake it seemed that House Martell would turn on them further.

"We seek only what the North has," Oberyn replied easily, the country of Dorne had long since been ruled by Princes and Princesses; if they were to stand as equals in this alliance then it was time for an upgrade. Doran knew that he would be the first in a long time of Kings and Queens, he had no doubt of that especially since he had three children himself despite his separation from their mother.

"The King in the North, The King of the South and the King of Dorne," Stannis mused at the titles, he did not see why that could not happen since it was not like he would have ruled Dorne anyway. If he could grant independence to the North and gain another ally to the South then who was he to deny Dorne the right to do the same; they would need each other should the Targaryen decided to reclaim a throne and land that no longer wanted her.

"The Three Kings of Westeros," Robb agreed, he had no care what happened with Dorne and the boundaries were still being agreed upon with Stannis; he might have been King in the North but he was also recognised as King of the Trident as well. That meant that the North and the Riverlands would fall under Robb's rule, Stannis would rule the Crownlands, the Stormlands, the Reach, the Westerlands and Dorne would now fall under Doran's rule as it always had been. The only unknown at the present time was the Vale, though considering that they were kin to the Starks; it was likely that they too would come under the Northern Kings control.

"Then we have an agreement?" Oberyn mused leaning back in his chair, he was pleased to see that the offer for an alliance was so ready accepted; he had feared that the bull-headed Stannis might disagree. However, it appeared that he was eager to put an end to the Lannister rule and he would not object should the Dornish seek their revenge on those responsible for the deaths of Elia Martell and her children.

"How do we know that you have not come here to betray us?" Robb asked not wanting to believe such a good offer, what if he had been sent as a spy by the Lannisters; his hand moving to rest on his blade unsure of himself and their alliance. He would not let the Dornish Prince walk out of here especially if it could endanger his family further, Robb could not afford to be so trusting especially when there was so much at stake.

"If I wished for your death, young wolf, then you would already be dead," Oberyn replied easily, he would do anything to bring down the Lannisters and it had been them taking Casterly Rock that had made his decision. The war was turning and soon there would be fighting again, they had moved carefully and Dorne would not side with the Lannisters when there were better options out there.

The fact that a Lannister bastard now sat on the throne again, pretending to be a Baratheon was enough for them to make their move; a child puppet King would be easily overthrown. The Lannisters seemingly only had the Tyrells as their allies, which would not offer them much in the way of armies despite the fact that they had money and were feeding the capital.

"Though perhaps I would give you a kinder death than Joffrey's," Oberyn mused, he eyed the two men knowing that it was still early days for their alliance and they did not have to like or trust him to get his job done. Whoever had murdered Joffrey had ensured that his death would be a slow and merciless one, he had slowly choked to death; dying in his mother's arms and giving her the justification that she had always desired to kill her brother. And that had given Oberyn an idea, he reached into his pocket and set something on the table knowing that from this moment that they would be working together; he looked to them both for a moment in silence.

"The necklace that poisoned Joffrey Baratheon was found by where your sister was seated, we find out who murdered him and we may just break apart the Lannister alliance," Oberyn said looking to Robb, he did not believe Sansa to be guilty but she had been a pawn in someone else's plan. If they could prove Tyrion innocent then he could be swayed from his family's side, they could use him to break the Lannisters.

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